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Alexander Payne

Alexander Payne
Payne in 2017
Born
Constantine Alexander Payne

(1961-02-10) February 10, 1961 (age 64)
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Citizenship
  • United States
  • Greece
EducationStanford University (BA)
University of California, Los Angeles (MFA)
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • producer
Years active1985–present
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 2003; div. 2006)​
  • Maria Kontos
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2015; div. 2022)​
Children1
AwardsFull list

Constantine Alexander Payne[1] (born February 10, 1961)[2] is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is noted for his satirical depictions of contemporary American society. Payne has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award and two Golden Globe Awards as well as a nomination for a Grammy Award.

After directing several short films, Payne made his feature film debut with the black comedy Citizen Ruth (1996). His career progressed with the political satire Election (1999), for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the comedy-drama About Schmidt (2002). Payne twice won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for co-writing his directorials Sideways (2004) and The Descendants (2011). He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for these two films and for the road film Nebraska (2013). He has since directed the comedy-dramas Downsizing (2017), and The Holdovers (2023).

Early life and education

[edit]

Payne was born in Omaha, Nebraska, to Peggy and George Payne, restaurant owners.[3][1] He is the youngest of three sons[4] and grew up in the Dundee neighborhood.[5] He is of Greek ancestry.[6][7] Payne's paternal grandfather, Nicholas "Nick" Payne, anglicized the last name from "Papadopoulos".[8] His family comes from three areas in Greece: the island of Syros, Livadia, and Aegio.[9] Payne's family was part of the fabric[clarification needed] of Omaha, which he refers to as part of his upbringing.[10][11] His grandfather was a founder of The Virginia Cafe, with Payne's father taking over the restaurant. Payne went there regularly as a child. The restaurant was destroyed in a fire in 1969; the W. Dale Clark Library was later built on the site.[10] Payne's paternal grandmother, Clara Payne (née Hoffman), was from a German Nebraska family from Lincoln, Nebraska.[11]

In Omaha, Payne attended Brownell-Talbot School, Dundee Elementary School, and Lewis and Clark Junior High.[1] He graduated from Creighton Prep for high school in 1979.[12] At Prep, Payne wrote a humor column for his high school newspaper and was the editor of the high school yearbook.[13] Payne then attended Stanford University, where he majored in Spanish and History.[8] As a part of his Spanish degree, he studied at Spain's University of Salamanca. He later lived a few months in Medellin, Colombia, where he published an article about social changes between 1900 and 1930.[14] Payne received his MFA in 1990 from the UCLA Film School.

In the 1960s, Payne's father received a Super 8mm projector from Kraft Foods as a loyalty reward,[1][15] and eventually passed it on to his son when Alexander was about 14 years old.[13][16][17]

Career

[edit]

1985–1996: Short films and film debut

[edit]

A short time after getting his MFA from UCLA Film School—and after his successful thesis film The Passion of Martin had attracted industry attention—Payne got a writing/directing deal with Universal Pictures. The ensuing screenplay, which was turned down, ultimately became About Schmidt.[8] He says that he cleared about $60,000, which was enough to fund his simple lifestyle at the time for about five years.[7] Payne has said he sees his talent as being one of learned economy, referring to the essay written by Tennessee Williams on The Catastrophe of Success.[17] During this time Payne worked in various capacities on films and television including directing several films for the Playboy channel.

Payne co-wrote and directed his first full-length film, Citizen Ruth, which was released in 1996. The film is a satirical black comedy revolving around the issue of abortion rights. The film stars Laura Dern as a dim-witted woman with substance abuse issues who happens to get pregnant. She unexpectedly becomes a pawn of figures from both sides of the abortion debate. The film co-stars Kelly Preston, Burt Reynolds, and Tippi Hedren. The film premiered at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival where it received favorable reviews. In Janet Maslin of The New York Times review she wrote, "There's no easy way out of this predicament, though Mr. Payne does beg the question with skill. And Citizen Ruth can easily be forgiven for not finding a fully satisfying ending. It delivers more than enough lively, gutsy satire along the way."[18]

1999–2013: Breakthrough and acclaim

[edit]
Payne at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012

His second film, Election, starring Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon, which takes aim at politics and education in America, attracted attention when New Yorker film critic David Denby named it the best film of 1999. Payne received his first Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay nomination for Election. Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half stars out of four, praising Witherspoon and Payne, and saying, "...here is a movie that is not simply about an obnoxious student, but also about an imperfect teacher, a lockstep administration, and a student body that is mostly just marking time until it can go out into the world and occupy valuable space".[19] The film became a cult classic, ranking at #61 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies" and #9 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the "50 Best High School Movies", while Witherspoon's performance was ranked at #45 on the list of the "100 Greatest Film Performances of All Time" by Premiere. According to Payne, it is also President Barack Obama's favorite political film.[20]

In 2000, Payne completed an uncredited polish-up of the screenplay for the comedy film Meet the Parents. In 2001, Payne wrote a draft of Jurassic Park III. In 2002, Payne's film About Schmidt, about a recently retired widower who embarks on a journey to his estranged daughter's wedding, was released. The film starred Jack Nicholson as the title character, Warren Schmidt, and its script was based on the novel of the same name by Louis Begley. The film also co-starred Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, June Squibb, and Kathy Bates. The film premiered at the 55th Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews, with critics highlighting Nicholson's performance. Payne received a Golden Globe for the screenplay, which was also nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. To the surprise of many who kept track of Hollywood news,[21][22] Payne and Jim Taylor were not nominated for an Oscar for the About Schmidt screenplay.

In 2004, Payne followed About Schmidt with Sideways, a film about two middle-aged men who embark on a week-long road trip to Santa Barbara County wine country to celebrate Jack's upcoming wedding. The film stars Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church as the two friends, with Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival where it received rave reviews. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four stars, saying: "what happens during the seven days adds up to the best human comedy of the year – comedy, because it is funny, and human, because it is surprisingly moving."[23] Payne won both the Academy Award and Golden Globe in 2005 for Best Adapted Screenplay, while the film also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. In total, Sideways received five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture.

In 2007 Payne served as an executive producer on the films King of California and The Savages. He also collaborated once again with writing partner Jim Taylor to write a draft of the screenplay for the film I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007), a comedy directed by Dennis Dugan, and starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James. Payne disliked the final product, stating that Adam Sandler rewrote so much of the story that almost all of what Payne and Taylor wrote was gone.

In 2009, Payne signed a petition calling for the release of film director Roman Polanski, who had been arrested in Switzerland in relation to his 1977 charge for drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl.[24]

Payne at the Munich Film Festival (2015)

Payne returned to directing in 2011 after a seven-year hiatus with the film The Descendants, a film about a man dealing with the aftermath of a boating accident involving his wife, leaving her in a coma. The film starred George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, and Robert Forster. The film premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival where it received near universal praise ending up on many critics top 10 list of the year. Critics also hailed George Clooney's performance with many citing it as his best. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian praised Payne as a director writing, "Payne knows the difference between lightness and frivolity, between seriousness and solemnity, between different kinds of cloud...Within a single scene the film can tap into deep feelings of pain, switch into comic modes as various as farce and satire, and confront and evade moral challenges."[25] Payne also co-wrote the screenplay along with Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash who all won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Payne executive produced the short film Run Fast. Anna Musso, his long-time assistant and protégé, wrote and directed the film, which shot in March 2014. The project was partially funded by a Kickstarter campaign.[26] Payne was also executive producer of the acclaimed 2014 film Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter directed by David Zellner. Payne's Nebraska starred veteran character actor Bruce Dern (who received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor) and Saturday Night Live alumnus Will Forte.[27] It was released on November 15, 2013.[28] The film received critical acclaim with David Edlestein of NPR describing it as a "superb balancing act" and adding, "it's a special kind of triumph".[29] The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture with Payne receiving a Best Director nomination, ultimately losing to Alfonso Cuarón for Gravity.

2017–2022: Career slump

[edit]

Payne has said that during his seven-year hiatus between Sideways (2004) and The Descendants (2011), he, along with working partner Jim Taylor, were developing the satire Downsizing, which Payne has described as "a large canvas, science-fiction social satire" and "an epic masterpiece." The film, about an impoverished married couple who decide the way ahead lies in shrinking themselves, was to star Paul Giamatti and Reese Witherspoon, but was superseded by The Descendants and Nebraska.[30][31] In March 2016, Witherspoon was replaced by Kristen Wiig and Giamatti by Matt Damon.[32] Hong Chau, Christoph Waltz, Udo Kier, Neil Patrick Harris, and Jason Sudeikis also starred.[33] Paramount Pictures released the film on December 22, 2017.[34][35] It has received mixed reviews, with many critics describing it as the weakest film of Payne's career.[36]

2023–present: Resurgence

[edit]
Payne with Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Paul Giamatti at a screening of The Holdovers (2024) in London

In June 2021, it was announced that Payne would direct Paul Giamatti in the David Hemingson-scripted film The Holdovers for Miramax.[37][38][39] The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival to widespread critical acclaim. Peter Debruge of Variety compared it to the films of Hal Ashby describing it as feeling as though it was a "lost 70s classic".[40] Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter hailed it as "an engaging and often touching comic drama that builds power as it moves toward its immensely satisfying conclusion."[41]

In 2024, Payne was said to be in production on—and targeting a 2025 release for—a documentary feature about film scholar Jeanine Basinger.[42] However, no updates have been given since.

Payne is also currently set for directing a Danish-language film to be shot in Denmark, fully funded by European sources.[43] This was later revealed to be titled Somewhere Out There, with Renate Reinsve joining in a supporting role[44] and Searchlight Pictures acquiring worldwide distribution rights. Principal photography is scheduled to begin in 2026.[45]

In 2025, Payne presided as the Jury President for the main competition of the 82nd edition of Venice Film Festival.[46]

Unrealized projects

[edit]
Main article: Alexander Payne's unrealized projects

Style

[edit]

Payne has set many of his films in Omaha, his hometown. His films sometimes include scenes of historical landmarks, black and white photographs, and museums, and he often uses amateur actors for minor roles.[8][47]

Payne is on the short list of directors who have final cut rights for their films.[48]

In 2005, he became a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Directors Branch).

Personal life

[edit]

Family

[edit]

Payne married Canadian actress Sandra Oh on January 1, 2003, after dating her for three years. On March 12, 2005, a publicist announced their separation. The divorce was officially finalized on December 22, 2006,[49] although the former couple took more than two years to settle their finances.[50][51][52] In 2015, Payne married Maria Kontos, whom he met while visiting the Aigio region of Greece where some of his ancestors originated.[53][54] They welcomed a daughter in 2017, and divorced in 2022.[55] In 2022 he received Greek citizenship.[56]

Philanthropy and business ventures

[edit]

Payne is on the Board of Directors of an Omaha non-profit film theater, Film Streams.[8] He maintains a passion for preservation. In recent years, he helped preserve a historic film theater in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.[57]

Payne was co-owner (along with friend Ann Beeder) of King Fong (now permanently closed), a Chinese restaurant in Omaha.[58]

Payne is a long-time supporter[59] of the Nebraska Coast Connection, a social networking organization that meets monthly in Culver City, California. In November 2013, he held a special screening of Nebraska for the group's members at the Sherry Lansing Theatre on the Paramount Studios lot.[60]

Statutory rape allegation

[edit]

In a 2018 interview with Ronan Farrow, actress Rose McGowan accused a "prominent” man in Hollywood of statutory rape but she did not name the person in question.[61] In August 2020, McGowan said it was Payne and that he committed the act sometime in 1988 or 1989, when McGowan was 15 years old and Payne was about 28 years old.[62]

Payne responded to McGowan's allegation by writing a guest column in Deadline Hollywood in which he admitted to a consensual relationship with her, stating that they had met at some point in 1991 (McGowan turned 18 in September 1991) at an audition for a comic short film that he was directing for the Playboy Channel and had no reason to believe she was under the age of consent as the part required an actress who was of age. Payne ended his statement writing, "While I cannot allow false statements about events 29 years ago to go uncorrected, I will continue to wish only the best for Rose".[63]

Filmography

[edit]

Short film

[edit]
Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1985 Carmen Yes Yes No
1990 The Passion of Martin Yes Yes Yes
1991 Inside Out: My Secret Moments Yes Yes No [64]
1992 Inside Out: The Houseguest Yes No No [65]
2006 14e arrondissement Yes Yes No Segment of Paris, je t'aime

Feature film

[edit]
Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1996 Citizen Ruth Yes Yes No
1999 Election Yes Yes No
2002 About Schmidt Yes Yes No
2004 Sideways Yes Yes No
2011 The Descendants Yes Yes Yes
2013 Nebraska Yes No No
2017 Downsizing Yes Yes Yes
2023 The Holdovers Yes No No
TBA Untitled Jeanine Basinger documentary Yes TBA TBA In production

Executive producer

Producer

Writer only

Television

[edit]
Year Title Director Executive
producer 		Episode
2009 Hung Yes Yes "Pilot" (S1 E1)

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Alexander Payne
Payne holding the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award at the Sarajevo Film Festival in 2024

Over his career Payne has received numerous accolades including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and five Independent Spirit Awards. He has also received a nomination for a Grammy Award. In 2017, Metacritic ranked Payne 2nd on its list of the 25 best film directors of the 21st century.[66]

Year Title Academy Awards BAFTA Awards Golden Globe Awards
Nominations Wins Nominations Wins Nominations Wins
1999 Election 1 1
2002 About Schmidt 2 1 5 2
2004 Sideways 5 1 1 1 7 2
2011 The Descendants 5 1 3 5 2
2013 Nebraska 6 3 5
2017 Downsizing 1
2023 The Holdovers 5 1 7 2 3 2
Total 19 3 15 3 27 8

Directed Academy Award performances
Under Payne's direction, these actors have received Academy Award nominations and wins for their performances in their respective roles.

Year Performer Title Result
Academy Award for Best Actor
2003 Jack Nicholson About Schmidt Nominated
2012 George Clooney The Descendants Nominated
2014 Bruce Dern Nebraska Nominated
2024 Paul Giamatti The Holdovers Nominated
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
2005 Thomas Haden Church Sideways Nominated
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
2003 Kathy Bates About Schmidt Nominated
2005 Virginia Madsen Sideways Nominated
2014 June Squibb Nebraska Nominated
2024 Da'Vine Joy Randolph The Holdovers Won

In 2012, he was named as a member of the Jury for the Main Competition at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.[67] His 2013 film Nebraska was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.[68] With his Academy Award nomination for Nebraska in 2014,[69] Payne has been nominated seven times, winning the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay twice.

In 2014, The Location Managers Guild of America honored Payne with their inaugural Eva Monley Award for his masterful use of location as another character.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Julie Levinson, ed. Alexander Payne: Interviews. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2014. ISBN 978-1-62846-109-1.[70]
  • Alexander Payne and James Zemaitis. The Coffee Table Coffee Table Book. London: Black Dog Pub, 2003. ISBN 978-190-103304-5.[71]
  • Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor. The Sideways Guide to Wine and Life. New York: Newmarket, 2005. Illustrated by Rex Pickett. ISBN 978-155-704686-4.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Court of Honor: Constantine Alexander Payne". Metro Magazine. Omaha, Nebraska. 2010. p. 13. Archived from the original on November 7, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013. Constantine Alexander Payne, a Greek American, was born on February 10, 1961 to George and Peggy Payne in Omaha, Nebraska. ... Alexander attended Brownell Talbot and Dundee for elementary school, Lewis and Clark Junior High and Creighton Prep High School. ...[H]e went on to attend Stanford, and ... graduated with an MFA in film from UCLA. ... [H[is father, owner of The Virginia Restaurant in downtown Omaha...
  2. ^ Cunningham, John M. "Alexander Payne: American writer, director, and producer". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  3. ^ "Entertainment: Sideways director keeps it real". BBC News. UK. January 25, 2005. Retrieved September 17, 2010. ...his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, where his family ran a Greek restaurant — they changed the family name from Papadopoulos.
  4. ^ Mikulan, Steven (April 21, 1999). "High Plains Joker: Alexander Payne's Wild, Wild Midwest". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2010. ...the youngest of three sons in a Greek-American family of businessmen and restaurateurs. (His grandfather had changed the family name from Papadopulis.) In 1975, a tornado blew down Alexander's junior high school ... [and he transferred] to Creighton Prep...
  5. ^ Hodgman, John (December 8, 2002). "The Bard of Omaha". The New York Times. p. 88. Retrieved August 17, 2020. ...Dundee, the tidy grove of modest two-story homes where he grew up and where his parents still live.
  6. ^ Papapostolou, Anastasios (May 19, 2013). "Exclusive: Alexander Payne Talks Nebraska, Greece & American Cinema". Hollywood Greek Reporter. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Papapostolou, Anastasios (May 18, 2013). "Alexander Payne Talks Nebraska; Cinema; Greece" (Video interview). Greek Reporter. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d e Talbot, Margaret (October 28, 2013). "Profiles: Home Movies: Alexander Payne, High Plains auteur". The New Yorker. Condé Nast. p. 50. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013. he majored in Latin-American literature and history, and studied abroad in Spain and in Colombia.
  9. ^ Rhompotis, Demetrios (March 6, 2013). "Film Director Alexander Payne: Greece 'energizes my DNA!'". NEO Magazine. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  10. ^ a b Biga, Leo Adam (July 6, 2012). "Remembering the Virginia Cafe and the Restauranter Family Legacy of Filmmaker Alexander Payne" (Writer's blog). Leo Adam Biga. Retrieved November 14, 2013. Originally published in The Reader
  11. ^ a b "Payne (Papadopoulos) - Hoffman" (PDF). St. John's 100 Year Anniversary. St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church. June 13–15, 2008. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  12. ^ "Archives: That time Alexander Payne returned to Omaha to make his first movie". Omaha World-Herald. November 12, 2013 [Originally published February 5, 1995]. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved November 14, 2013. Payne, a 1979 Creighton Prep graduate...
  13. ^ a b Feinberg, Scott (December 27, 2011). "Writer/Director Alexander Payne: 'I Don't Know How Talented I Would Say I Am' (Audio)" (Audio podcast interview article). The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  14. ^ Constantine Alexander Payne, Crecimiento y cambio social en Medellín: 1900–1930, Estudios sociales. Vol. I, N° 1. Medellín, septiembre 1986, pp. 111 – 194.
  15. ^ Kelly, Michael (February 25, 2012). "Payne, Ware on to big-time awards". Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  16. ^ Turan, Kenneth (September 16, 2011). "Alexander Payne Regis Dialogue with Kenneth Turan" (Video interview). Walker Art Center. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  17. ^ a b Feinberg, Scott (December 27, 2011). "Scott Feinberg Interviews Alexander Payne" (Audio podcast interview). The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  18. ^ Maslin, Janet (December 13, 1996). "To Abort, Not to Abort: A Comedy". The New York Times. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  19. ^ Ebert, Roger (April 30, 1999). "Election Movie Review (1999)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  20. ^ Jacobs, Matthew (May 7, 2014). "Pick Flick: An Oral History Of 'Election,' 15 Years Later". The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 26, 2015. Barack Obama has told me twice that it's his favorite political film.
  21. ^ Weaver, Cathy (July 27, 2003). "'SCHMIDT' DIRECTOR UNFAZED BY 'SNUB'". Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  22. ^ Karger, Dave (February 11, 2003). "Check out the top five Oscar surprises". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  23. ^ Chicago Sun Times Archived March 18, 2013, at the Wayback Machine by Roger Ebert.
  24. ^ Jeu, Redaction La Règle du (November 10, 2009). "Signez la pétition pour Roman Polanski !". La Règle du Jeu. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  25. ^ French, Philip (January 29, 2012). "The Descendants". The Observer. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  26. ^ "RUN FAST - A Short Film by Anna Musso by Anna Musso — Kickstarter". Kickstarter.com. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  27. ^ Chitwood, Adam (August 6, 2012). "Alexander Payne's NEBRASKA Moving Forward with Will Forte and Bruce Dern". Collider. Archived from the original on August 10, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  28. ^ Han, Angie (November 30, 2012). "Alexander Payne's 'Nebraska' Eyeing Late 2013 Release; Will Forte and Bruce Dern Run Around Billings, MT in First Set Photos". /Film. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  29. ^ Edelstein, David (November 15, 2013). "Across 'Nebraska,' On A Journey That Goes Beyond The Trip". NPR. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  30. ^ "Matt Damon downsizing with Alexander Payne". The Guardian. November 6, 2014.
  31. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 5, 2014). "Matt Damon To Star In Alexander Payne's 'Downsizing'". Deadline Hollywood.
  32. ^ Barsanti, Sam (March 29, 2016). "Kristen Wiig replaces Reese Witherspoon in Downsizing". The A.V. Club. avclub.com. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  33. ^ Lesnick, Silas (January 8, 2015). "Three More Join Damon and Witherspoon for Downsizing". Comingsoon.net. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  34. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 2, 2015). "Paramount Nabs Alexander Payne's 'Downsizing' Starring Matt Damon". Variety. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  35. ^ Pedersen, Erik (March 10, 2016). "Christoph Waltz & Hong Chau Join 'Downsizing'; '3rd Street Blackout' Gets NYC Release Date". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  36. ^ "Downsizing (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  37. ^ Mike Fleming Jr. (June 14, 2021). "Alexander Payne Taps His 'Sideways' Star Paul Giamatti For 'The Holdovers': Hot Cannes Package". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  38. ^ Rebecca Rubin (June 14, 2021). "Paul Giamatti to Star in Alexander Payne's Comedic Drama 'The Holdovers'". Variety. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  39. ^ Mike Fleming Jr. (June 28, 2021). "Miramax Lands World Rights On Alexander Payne-Directed 'The Holdovers' With Paul Giamatti: Cannes Market". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  40. ^ "'The Holdovers' Review: Alexander Payne Reunites With Paul Giamatti in What Feels Like a Lost '70s Classic". Variety. September 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  41. ^ "'The Holdovers' Review: Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti Reunite for an Imperfect but Rewarding Campus Dramedy". The Hollywood Reporter. September 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  42. ^ Feinberg, Scott (April 26, 2024). "Alexander Payne Making Doc Directorial Debut With Project About "Finest Film Professor in the World" (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  43. ^ Dalton, Ben (August 20, 2024). "Alexander Payne preps Danish-language film as first European production (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  44. ^ Dalton, Ben (May 15, 2025). "Renate Reinsve to star in Alexander Payne's 'Somewhere Out There'". Screen Daily. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
  45. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (May 17, 2025). "Searchlight Pictures Buys Alexander Payne's Next Film 'Somewhere Out There' for Worldwide Rights". Variety. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
  46. ^ "Biennale Cinema 2025 | Alexander Payne President of the Venezia 82 international jury". La Biennale di Venezia. April 28, 2025. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  47. ^ Biga, Leo Adam (September 24, 2013). "Nebraska Coast Connection Salon Q&A with Alexander Payne: The Filmmaker Speaks Candidly About 'Nebraska,' Casting, Screenwriting and Craft: Alexander Payne in conversation with Nebraska Coast Connection founder Todd Nelson". Leo Adam Biga. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  48. ^ Belloni, Matthew (November 16, 2011). "THR's Directors Roundtable: How to Fire People, Who to Steal From, and Amy Pascal's Secret Advice". The Hollywood Reporter. p. 3. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  49. ^ "Sandra Oh files to divorce husband Payne". UPI (United Press International, Inc.). April 18, 2005. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  50. ^ Lee, Ken; Silverman, Stephen M. (December 27, 2006). "Sandra Oh Is Officially Single". People. Archived from the original on January 23, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  51. ^ Lee, Ken (January 22, 2007). "Sandra Oh's Ex: No Spousal Support". People. Archived from the original on January 25, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  52. ^ Lee, Ken (October 18, 2007). "Sandra Oh and Alexander Payne's Divorce Finalized". People. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  53. ^ "Oscar-winning Alexander Payne secretly gets married with a Greek woman". Proto Thema. October 29, 2015. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016.
  54. ^ Romney, Jonathan (January 7, 2018). "Alexander Payne on Downsizing: 'The film isn't a major statement – it's a metaphor'". The Guardian. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  55. ^ Cooper, Todd (May 23, 2023). "Divorce of Omaha filmmaker Alexander Payne an international affair; records sealed in court". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  56. ^ Newsroom. "Oscar-winning Alexander Payne becomes Greek citizen | eKathimerini.com". www.ekathimerini.com. Retrieved February 8, 2022. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  57. ^ Bristow, David L. "Saving Our Cinema: Scottsbluff's Midwest Theater offers a glimpse of Nebraska film possibilities". Nebraska Life. Archived from the original on March 28, 2006. Retrieved November 13, 2013. Midwest Theater (Scottsbluff, NE)
  58. ^ Fonda, Jane (July 24, 2012). "Alexander Payne, Laura Dern & an Amazing Weekend in Omaha". JaneFonda.com. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  59. ^ Stewart, Andrew (May 17, 2013). "Alexander Payne Screens 'Nebraska' Cannes, Nebraska Coast Connection". Variety. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  60. ^ Verrier, Richard (November 20, 2013). "Alexander Payne's 'Nebraska' shows state's deep roots in Hollywood". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 28, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  61. ^ Strauss, Jackie (February 2, 2018). "Rose McGowan Tells Ronan Farrow of Another 'Very Famous' Hollywood Predator". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  62. ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth; Aurthur, Kate (August 17, 2020). "Rose McGowan on Why She Revealed Statutory Rape Allegations Against Alexander Payne: 'It Was Time'". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  63. ^ Payne, Alexander (September 4, 2020). "Alexander Payne Denies Rose McGowan Underage Allegation: Guest Column". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  64. ^ "Inside Out: My Secret Moments". Filmfest München. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  65. ^ "Inside Out: The Houseguest". Filmfest München. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  66. ^ MetaCritic Top 25 Best Movie Directors of the 21st century: so Far (Alexander Payne)
  67. ^ "The Jury of the 65th Festival de Cannes". festival-cannes.com. Cannes Film Festival. Archived from the original on May 24, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
  68. ^ "2013 Official Selection". Cannes. April 18, 2013. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  69. ^ "Ο 'Έλληνας" των Όσκαρ". NewsIT. January 16, 2014.
  70. ^ Archived December 31, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
  71. ^ "The Coffee Table Coffee Table Book". Black Dog Publishing. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
[edit]
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